1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an integrated vehicle information system. More particularly, the present invention relates to an integrated vehicle information system containing a central server and remote computers to access said information.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous innovations for vehicle information systems have been provided in the prior art that are described as follows. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, they differ from the present invention as hereinafter contrasted.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,076,026, titled, Method and device for vehicle control events data recording and securing, invented by Jambhekar, et. al., a device (100) and method (200, 300) authenticate and secure control event data for a vehicle, wherein the device includes: A) a microcontroller (104), coupled to receive control event information, for attaching a first time stamp and vehicle identification number VIN to the control event information to provide first information and sending the first information to memory (106) in time overlap fashion; B) the memory (106), coupled to the microcontroller (104) and a microprocessor (108), for storing first information and second information in time overlap fashion; and C) the microprocessor (108), coupled to the memory (106) and a plurality of transducers (110), for determining whether received impact data varies from previous impact data, and where received impact data varies, adding a second time stamp and VIN to the received impact data to form second information.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,070,164, titled, Database method and apparatus using hierarchical bit vector index structure, invented by Vagnozzi, a database having fixed length records stored together in record number order and an index structure for the database. The index structure comprises a separate index for each searchable field of the records. For purposes of indexing, the records are logically divided into fine slices of 8,000 records each, and the fine slices are grouped into coarse slices of 4,000 fine slices each. The indexes include fine and coarse keys, each of which corresponds to a particular data value and a particular fine or coarse slice. Associated with each key is a link that is used to determine which records contain the data value. For the fine keys, the link includes a pointer to a bit vector that has a single bit for each of the records within the fine slice associated with the key. For the coarse keys, the link includes a pointer to a bit vector that has a single bit for each of the fine slices contained in the coarse slice. The coarse bit vector comprises two bit vectors, one that identifies which of the fine slices within the coarse slice contains any records having the data value and one that identifies which fine slices, if any, contain the data value in every one of its records. The keys are stored in a B-tree in order of a unique key value so that they are processed in record number order and the resulting list of records for any query is generated in record number order.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,052,065, titled, reading and transmitting system, Invented by Glover, a new VIN Reading and Transmitting System for providing a device for automatically detecting a vehicle identification number and transmitting the number to a dispatch station for immediate identification of the vehicle and owner. The inventive device includes a vehicle unit containing the vehicle identification number, a portable unite which enables the vehicle unit to transmit the number which is detected by the portable unit, a digital repeater which receives a signal from the portable unit for transmitting to a receiver at the dispatch office where the number can be utilized to disclose the vehicle and the owner which can be transmitted to the police officer immediately.
The aforementioned patents differ from the present invention because the patented inventions do not describe and/or claim the following: wireless and/or Internet communication means; logical expression containing field derivation rules In an active knowledge based system; and vehicle identification number (VIN) which consists of a series of expressions of the form xe2x80x9cposition=contentsxe2x80x9d cross linking the first ten digits of the VIN to a data base having data such as manufacture place, year, car modal and make and type, and engine size to vehicle history, maintenance schedules, maintenance due from mileage calculations, factory recalls etc.
Numerous innovations for vehicle information systems have been provided in the prior art that are adapted to be used. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.
The present invention relates to an integrated vehicle information system. More particularly, the present invention relates to an integrated vehicle information system containing a central server and remote computers to access said information.
The types of problems encountered in the prior art are vehicle identification systems lack pertinent information.
In the prior art, unsucessful attempts to solve this problem were attempted namely: vehicle information systems which are localized. However, the problem was solved by the present invention because it contains a database accessible through a communications means.
Innovations within the prior art are rapidly being exploited to facilitate gathering information on vehicles.
The present invention solved a long felt need for a fully integrated vehicle identification system.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a integrated vehicle information system having a vehicle identification number and a database.
More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide the vehicle identification number having the following segments: vehicle identification number make, vehicle identification number model, vehicle identification number engine, vehicle identification number year, and vehicle identification number factory sequence number.
In keeping with these objects, and with others which will become apparent hereinafter, one feature of the present invention resides, briefly stated, in the database having place of vehicle purchase, vehicle financing, vehicle insurance, maintenance schedule, maintenance due from mileage calculation, factory recall, warranty, place of manufacture, model year, make, model, engine size, factory sequence number, special features, vehicle repair and history, parts description, parts identification numbers, parts microfiche images and assembly, parts wholesale cost, parts retail cost, step-by-step technician repair guide, repair technician, technician assignment, technician actual repair time, technician flat rate repair time, vehicle image, current owner information, and previous owner information.
The novel features which are considered characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of the specific embodiments when read and understood in connection with the accompanying drawings.
10xe2x80x94integrated vehicle information system (10)
12xe2x80x94vehicle identification number (12)
12Axe2x80x94vehicle identification number make (12A)
12Bxe2x80x94vehicle identification number model (12B)
12Cxe2x80x94vehicle identification number engine (12C)
12Dxe2x80x94vehicle identification number year (12D)
12Exe2x80x94vehicle identification number factory sequence number (12E)
14xe2x80x94database (14)
14Axe2x80x94place of vehicle purchase (14A)
14Bxe2x80x94vehicle financing (14B)
14Cxe2x80x94vehicle insurance (14C)
14Dxe2x80x94maintenance schedule (14D)
14Exe2x80x94maintenance due from mileage calculation (14E)
14Fxe2x80x94factory recall (14F)
14Gxe2x80x94warranty (14G)
14Hxe2x80x94place of manufacture (14H)
14Ixe2x80x94model year (141)
14Jxe2x80x94make (14J)
14Kxe2x80x94model (14L)
14Mxe2x80x94engine size (14M)
14Nxe2x80x94factory sequence number (14N)
14Oxe2x80x94special features (14O)
14Pxe2x80x94vehicle repair and history (14P)
14Qxe2x80x94parts description (14Q)
14Rxe2x80x94parts identification numbers (14R)
14Sxe2x80x94parts microfiche images and assembly (14S)
14Txe2x80x94parts wholesale cost (14T)
14Uxe2x80x94parts retail cost (14U)
14Vxe2x80x94step-by-step technician repair guide (14V)
14Wxe2x80x94repair technician (14W)
14Xxe2x80x94technician assignment (14X)
14Yxe2x80x94technician actual repair time (14Y)
14Zxe2x80x94technician flat rate repair time (14Z)
14AAxe2x80x94vehicle image (14AA)
14ABxe2x80x94current owner information (14AB)
14ACxe2x80x94previous owner information (14AC)